Carrie (2013) Review: A Supernatural Horror About Bullying, Trauma, and Rage

 

Carrie | 2013 | 1h 40m
Genre: Supernatural Horror / Teen Horror / Tragedy / Drama / Horror / Thriller | Country: US
Director: Kimberly Peirce
Writers: Lawrence D. Cohen, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Stephen King
Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Gabriella Wilde, etc.
IMDb: 5.8
My Rate: 8/10

Carrie begins to develop supernatural abilities after entering adolescence, while facing a fanatical mother and relentless bullying at school. When her dream prom turns into a nightmare, she can no longer contain her anger.

Warning

Contains violence, strong language, and murder.

 

Synopsis of Carrie

Carrie (Chloë Grace Moretz) is a teenager who is considered "weird" by her classmates. She was raised by a deeply religious mother, Margaret (Julianne Moore), and was previously homeschooled, leaving her with little experience socializing with other teenagers.

Her difficulty fitting in makes her an easy target for bullying at school.

One day, Carrie gets her first period. Because her mother has never explained menstruation to her, Carrie is terrified and believes something is seriously wrong with her. She panics and asks her classmates for help, but instead of helping her, they mock her and record the humiliating incident.

Her gym teacher eventually intervenes and helps Carrie.

Carrie becomes angry with her mother for never telling her about menstruation. Margaret believes that menstruation is sinful and a warning from God, creating another conflict between them.

During this emotional turmoil, something strange begins to happen. Carrie discovers that she possesses supernatural abilities, including telekinesis.

She secretly begins exploring her powers and learning how to control them.

Meanwhile, Carrie unexpectedly becomes acquainted with Tommy (Ansel Elgort) and begins developing feelings for him.

Tommy is dating Sue (Gabriella Wilde), one of the students who witnessed the bullying Carrie experienced. Feeling guilty about what happened, Sue asks Tommy to take Carrie to the school prom as a way of making things right.

Sue does not realize that the prom will eventually become the setting for a devastating event.

What will happen to Carrie when everything she has tried to endure finally becomes too much?

 

Review of Carrie

Carrie (2013) is a remake of the 1976 film Carrie, which was adapted from Stephen King's novel of the same name. It is also the fourth film in the Carrie franchise, following The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999) and Carrie (2002).

The story is interesting and is presented in a way that is easy to follow.

The narrative develops systematically, with the background of both the story and its characters established clearly. The characters' personalities are also easy to recognize, while the development of the conflict and its eventual resolution are handled reasonably well.

The performances are generally good, although there are several moments where some expressions feel slightly stiff.

One example is the scene where Carrie experiments with her telekinetic abilities by making books float around her room. Her expression in that moment does not feel entirely convincing and looks somewhat artificial.

The music is well selected and supports the atmosphere of each scene. The visual effects are also relatively restrained rather than excessive, while the camera movement effectively captures the details needed to tell the story.

One aspect that feels slightly illogical is the portrayal of Carrie's gym teacher. She seems to have an unusually strong influence over the school and appears overly protective of Carrie.

While her intention is understandable, the way the character behaves sometimes feels distracting, almost as though she is trying too hard to establish herself as the "good teacher."

Despite these weaknesses, Carrie remains an interesting film, particularly for viewers who enjoy supernatural horror and psychological thrillers.

What makes the story continue to resonate is the way Carrie's supernatural powers are connected to the emotional pressure she experiences. Her anger does not emerge from nowhere; it grows from years of isolation, humiliation, and repression.

 

Memorable Scene

Carrie uses her telekinetic powers to force her mother to rise from her position while praying.

Margaret is shocked that Carrie is capable of doing this. In that moment, her reaction also reveals her guilt over the way she chose to raise her daughter.

The scene shows how their conflict is not simply about supernatural powers. Beneath it are years of fear, religious fanaticism, control, and the emotional damage caused by a parent who cannot accept her child for who she is.

 

Memorable Dialogue

"What did Carrie White ever do to you?"

 

Ending

Cliffhanger

 

Recommendation

Worth Watching

(Aluna Uwie)